Watcher
by Kakashi's Bitchez
Summary: Obito always watched Kakashi. Now, Naruto does the same. But all hell will break loose when they discover who is watching Naruto.


**Watcher**

Obito always watched Kakashi. Now, Naruto does the same. But neither of them could've have guessed who would be watching Naruto.

* * *

Obito never really had much of a family beyond his dad. His mother had been killed early on in the third great shinobi war, along with his two older brothers and baby sister. He had never really had much of anything. No friends, no real place to call home, no talent or brains; nothing, really. Whereas Rin had her compassion, Sensei had his wisdom, and Kakashi… Kakashi had everything.

Sometimes, when Rin was sleeping beside him at night and Sensei was looking up at the stars in that strange, dreamy way that he did and Kakashi was sitting not too far away from them, keeping watch, Obito would look at him. He would spend countless hours just staring at Kakashi, which he knew was creepy and weird and not at all normal, but sometimes he was just so tired from missions and war and fighting that he couldn't tear his eyes away from the peaceful-looking chunin. Sometimes he would fall asleep with that image in his mind, and his dreams would be peaceful, too. Other times he would sleep with the image of blood streaking his thoughts, and wake up screaming and with tears in his cursedly-sensitive eyes, and Kakashi would call him a pathetic crybaby and they would all go on their way.

Obito never really had anything that was his own, and so he had nothing to give. But sometimes, in that peaceful scene of night, in the privacy of his thoughts, Obito would pretend that Sensei was his father. Not a mean, cruel father who would hit him across the mouth when he said something stupid as his own father did, but like the kind of father he was sure Kakashi had. Sometimes, he would even go so far as to pretend that Kakashi was his brother, and they fought and hung around with and ate together like real brothers did, as he had never been able to do with his own, much older, very dead brothers.

And sometimes, as they lay there, he would pretend that gentle, caring Rin was his sister, tending their wounds and keeping him and Kakashi from tearing each other apart, like he was sure his real sister would have had she been given the chance. And suddenly, somehow, Uchiha Obito, who had nothing, had everything.

But then Rin was captured and all hell broke loose. He somehow managed to lose everything that he never had, get it all back, and lose it again all in the space of a day. But now at least Rin was safe and he knew Kakashi would protect her with his life- because he had promised.

Obito lay beneath the rubble, his broken body splayed out beneath the rocks. _Ironic_, he thought, _that the first time I really have anything of my own, I give it away._

Kakashi now had the Sharingan eye he had waited so long for, and he would become a hero and everyone would praise him, and somehow that was okay with Obito. Because though Kakashi really wasn't his brother, with time, maybe he could have been. And Rin could never replace his sister, but maybe, with time, they could have had something more than the pity in her eyes.

_Kakashi… Rin…_ Obito thought. _I wish we had more time._

He smiled.

* * *

The blond boy stumbled across the empty field, his eyes burning. _Damn it! Damn it! _he cursed. _Why, Sasuke? Why did this have to happen?_

Konoha was gone, destroyed. And Sasuke… Sasuke was a missing-nin. Someone to be feared. Someone to be killed.

"Why?" he whispered, his teeth clenched. "Why couldn't I stop you? Why are you so full of hatred? Why can't you just come back to us?"

And suddenly, Uzumaki Naruto was full out running, because he was angry, because he was frustrated, because he wanted to _do_ something, anything, and he couldn't. He was alone, always had been. Why had he been so _stupid_ to think he had ever had any sort of bond with the Uchiha? Why?

He tripped and fell to the ground, and he didn't care, it didn't even hurt. His fists struck out at the mud, as if that would do something to change the situation. _Why, damn it? Why?_

Two feet stepped out in front of the sixteen-year-old. He hadn't even heard them approach, but that wasn't unusual of Kakashi. He looked away. He just wanted to be alone.

Kakashi, ignoring his wishes, remained, though he didn't look at the boy. "Naruto, get up. Crying won't solve anything."

Naruto obeyed, sitting up and wiping his tears away with his sleeve. He didn't really care what Kakashi was about to say, but there was no use in delaying the process. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice sullen.

Kakashi's eyes landed on him. "I want you to protect this village," he said, his voice slow and measured, as if speaking to a child. "I know you can't forget about Sasuke, but you need to put him aside for now, okay? A weak child who can't stop crying won't make a very good Hokage, will they?" He crouched down. "Right now, you're the only one who can help up, Naruto. Remember that." Having said his piece, Hatake Kakashi turned to leave.

"Someone who can't even save their friend doesn't deserve to be Hokage," Naruto murmured in reply. "He doesn't deserve the respect this village has given him, and he certainly isn't worthy enough to be the Fourth's son." He wasn't a crybaby, and he knew it. So where were all these tears coming from?

"Kakashi-sensei, wait," he said quietly. Kakashi turned. And for once in his life, Uzumaki Naruto didn't know what to say.

He wanted to lash out at someone, have someone to blame for this. But he knew he had no one to blame but himself. "What do you know, anyway?" he muttered. "What can I ask you now that I don't already know the answer to?"

Kakashi opened his lips to speak, but Naruto had finally figured out what it was he wanted to say. "Why should I listen to you? Forget about Sasuke? I can't! I can't put him aside! He's my friend, and I can't save him! He's my brother, but he's on the other side, and he has to die so Konoha can live! What do you know about that? What do you know about your closest friend being the bad guy? You've said it yourself: everyone you've ever loved is dead!! Why should I listen to you?" And then Naruto was up on his feet and running, leaving a contemplative Kakashi behind.

* * *

Kakashi said nothing as he watched the blond-haired boy disappear. Because Naruto was right. This wasn't Sasuke he was dealing with. This kid was not someone he could so easily relate to. Naruto had always been on a different level than anyone else, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand the kid. The times he caught a glimpse of Obito in him came few and far between now. Naruto was growing up, and becoming more and more like the Fourth Hokage. He had left the image of Obito behind.

Kakashi wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or not.

The sun was just beginning to rise, and Kakashi stared out at it, seeing the dawn rise up over the destruction. The crisp wind tore through his silvery-white hair, drawing him to the memorial, which was, miraculously, still standing.

Kakashi looked down at the goggles in his hand, and sighed. "Obito, you would know what to say," he murmured. "You were always such a crybaby, but somehow, you would understand him, and help him. I know you would." The Jounin leaned lazily against the stone, pulling down his mask. A small smile appeared on his face. "I'm sorry we didn't get much of a chance to talk the other day… maybe next time, hunh?"

His eye lowered. "Stupid, but in that moment, all I wanted to do was to stay. With you, with Rin, with my father. And then that was taken away from me." Kakashi clenched his fist. "Why did you die, Obito, and not me? You would have known what to say to these kids. You would have kept Sasuke from leaving. You would have been able to teach Naruto in ways that I can't." Never mind that Obito would have died anyway in the Uchiha massacre. Never mind that Rin would've died during the demon fox's attack on the village no matter what he did. Never mind that there was no way he could have stopped Sensei from giving up his life for Konoha once his mind was made up.

Kakashi squeezed the goggles in his hand gently, almost lovingly. "Maybe you would have been able to protect Konoha." He turned away. "Guess we'll never know, huh?" And then Kakashi began to walk away.

* * *

Naruto stood behind the trees, watching Kakashi. It was something he did often, and he knew it was weird, but somehow, it always seemed to draw peace to him. When Sasuke was still a part of the group, he had sometimes watched him, too. But he didn't do it often, because whenever he did, he would get this sense of coldness, of hatred. He still watched Sakura, though that was usually a dangerous endeavor, so he didn't do that often, either. No, Kakashi was the only one he ever felt safe watching, despite the fact that his former Sensei could crush him in an instant should he want to.

But he had never watched him in the early hours of the morning, nor had he searched for him when he was late (which was always). He had always known Kakashi-sensei was lying when he made up his lame excuses for being tardy, but he had never suspected that this was the reason.

Naruto frowned as Kakashi got up to leave, dropping a pair of goggles down on the memorial. Who was this Obito? Who was Rin? And his Sensei… wasn't that the Fourth Hokage who had first taught Kakashi? His… father?

_Damn it_, Naruto thought for the zillionth time that day. _Why? _He was the son of the Fourth Hokage. It was still something that drew awe from him every time he thought about it. But still more unbelievable was that the Fourth was not only his father, he believed in him. And yet…

And yet, the Fourth had sealed the Kyuubi within his own son, knowing how difficult that would be for him. Why was that, really? He had said that it was because the village would need a hero, but didn't he believe in Naruto enough to do it on his own? The Kyuubi was a destructive force, something to be repressed, forgotten. So why?

Naruto looked at the ground beneath his feet. He would find the answer someday, he knew it. And he would save Sasuke, too, no matter what it took. He had made a promise, after all. He wouldn't give up.

The sixteen-year-old was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't see the large shadow looming over him, nor did he feel the presence of a lone Sharingan eye watching him from not too far away.

* * *

**A/N: I have read up on all of the manga, and I am fully aware of all the canon mistakes here. But please, bear with me.**


End file.
